Jordan Peele Is Making a Docuseries About Lorena Bobbitt, the Woman Who Cut Off Her Husband's Penis

Twenty-five years after Lorena Bobbitt infamously cut her husband's penis off with a kitchen knife, the story is making headlines again—this time, Bobbitt is getting a turn at telling her story.

Amazon has green-lit a four-part docuseries, currently titled Lorena, that will reexamine the case and the narrative that followed during the court battle between Bobbitt and her husband, John Wayne. Recent Academy Award winner Jordan Peele will serve as executive producer on the docuseries, which is produced in part by his production company Monkeypaw.

The four-part documentary, directed by Joshua Rofé, will take a new approach to the case, highlighting themes that fell to the wayside when the case originally took over tabloids in the early '90s.

"When we hear the name ‘Bobbitt’ we think of one of the most sensational incidents to ever be catapulted into a full blown media spectacle," Peele said in a news release. "With this project, Lorena has a platform to tell her truth as well as engage in a critical conversation about gender dynamics, abuse, and her demand for justice. This is Lorena’s story and we’re honored to help her tell it."

Coming off of a Oscar win for Get Out, Peele's approach to the story will shine a light on how the Lorena Bobbitt trial helped jumpstart what has come to be the modern 24-hour news cycle. The case, which involved stories of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, dominated news outlets for weeks in 1993. The jury eventually found Lorena not guilty due to insanity. She had to undergo a 45-day evaluation, after which she was released. John Wayne was acquitted of rape, and the two finally divorced in 1995.

The series will be released exclusively on Amazon Prime.

Justin Kirkland Justin Kirkland is a writer for Esquire, where he focuses on entertainment, television, and pop culture.

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